Alastair Macartney’s Post

My 7-year-old son’s team crushed it 11-3... but the team that lost taught me the real lesson. So, my son had his first soccer match. They won 11-3. He scored six of those goals (proud dad moment right here). But let me tell you who the real heroes were... The other team. Yep. The team that got crushed. They were outmatched from the first whistle. By halftime, they were down 7-1, and you’d think they’d throw in the towel. But nope. They charged back in like they were winning the World Cup. Unapologetic. Bold. Absolutely unreasonable. I’m sitting there thinking, "Are these kids powered by snacks or pure audacity?" Because no matter how many goals they ate, they just kept coming back for more. And here’s the thing: They didn’t play like they were losing. They played like they couldn’t lose. If you’ve ever been an entrepreneur, you know exactly what I’m talking about. How many times have you taken a beating and STILL showed up the next day, ready to take another swing? Most people quit when things get tough. But not these kids. And not you. The world belongs to those who are unreasonable enough to believe that a loss is just a setup for a bigger win. The audacious ones who refuse to back down when life is hammering goals past them. So yeah, my son scored 6 goals, but the real lesson that day? The team that kept fighting. That’s how you win. ➤ Be unapologetic in your persistence. ➤ Be bold enough to keep playing when the scoreboard says otherwise. ➤ And be audacious enough to believe the game's not over until you say it is. And maybe grab some ice cream on the way home - because you’ve earned it.

The helicopter came in low and fast. That’s when it happened. It was the Thwack, Thwack, Thwack of the rotor blades. The team were inserting too close to the target and the insurgents heard it. But, before they had time to react, four operators had already disembarked and were unapologetically clearing the first structure. This operation had been planned for months. There was FBI HRT, Navy SEALs, Green Berets, Delta, Secret Service, some three letter organizations that I’ve been told not name, and more. When I was in the military we often lacked access to the full array of resources we’d need. Not this time. Everything was in play. Including you? You read that right. Navy Seal sniper and Purple Heart recipient Ryan “Birdman” Parrott is putting together an audacious Black Ops project over the last weekend in October in Dallas, Texas. It’s going to be a who’s who of networking in this community alongside many HNWI and the mission is going be off the scale. I just came off a zoom call briefing. I’m not exaggerating - it blew my mind. This is going to be the event of the year. There’s space to add one more 4-man team. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and there are many in the group that return time and time again for anything this legend puts together. Want in? Join me and 60 others (like The Frogman Friday Show, Chris "Robie" Robishaw, Bryce Hansen, Mathew Lehnig, E.J. Caterson, Zachary Garner, Christian Meyers, Brendan Quisenberry, Chris McIntyre, Kegan Gill) by emailing ryan@americanextreme.com (or DM me and I’ll put you in touch) and reserve your slot. He’s locking down the list early next week so be quick.

Date idea: Get your partner into your hobby... so you can both bond over how one of you is absolutely crushing it while the other needs a life alert. Hiking, biking, cooking - it all sounds like quality time. Until you’re the one unapologetically falling on your face, and your partner’s out here ready for the Olympics. Who knew love was watching your partner audaciously scale a cliff like Spider-Man while you're just... trying not to sprain an ankle? What hobby have you tried together that almost turned into a rom-com disaster? 👇

Forgotten your password again? Welcome to the never-ending wheelie of digital life. Ever feel like remembering your passwords is exactly like this truck doing a wheelie? You’re desperately trying to get control of the situation, throwing everything you’ve got at it, and it’s STILL not coming down. It’s like trying to break into a high-security vault... except the vault is your own brain. The more you think, the worse it gets: ➤ You try every combo you’ve used since 2012. ➤ Add a number? Nope. ➤ Capital letter? Still nope. ➤ Throw in your first pet’s name in a desperate move? Nada. Finally, you hit “Reset Password” for the 12th time this month, and you swear it’s becoming a lifestyle choice. Trying to remember your password is like assembling IKEA furniture without instructions – you’ll get there… eventually. But it’s going to hurt. How many times have you hit “forgot password” this year? Drop a comment with your best guess and let’s see who wins! 👇 #passwordstruggles #techfails #its2024whydowestilldothis #digitalchaos

Breaking News: AI is learning to write jokes... and it might be funnier than your junior intern’s best efforts to get the coffee order right! We’re in an era where robots don’t just do the heavy lifting, they’re about to steal our lunch (and probably our punchlines too). But let’s get real: no amount of AI is going to understand the chaos of scaling a business like we do. Let’s talk growing pains. Building a business is like trying to organize a Netflix queue with three people who all have radically different tastes. At first, it’s fun. You're unapologetically adding the biggest blockbuster ideas to the list, convinced you’re about to take over the world. But suddenly, you're neck-deep in “suggestions based on your viewing history” that you never actually wanted. Sound familiar? Lead gen feels like that rom-com you keep getting recommended even though you’re more of a thriller person. Scaling? It’s like saying, “just one more episode” and realizing it’s 3am and you still have 47 things to do before morning. Operational autonomy? That’s the indie documentary everyone says is crucial, but it just keeps sitting at the bottom of your queue. And now AI is coming for our sense of humor? Unreasonable if you ask me. Here’s the reality: All the AI in the world can’t replace the unapologetic grind it takes to grow a business. The audacious wins? They come from being bold enough to play a bigger game, tweaking the strategy every day, and overdelivering when others are just doing enough to get by. You can train a machine to automate your processes, but it takes a human with vision to scale like a beast. CEOs, you know exactly what I’m talking about. So, what’s your next move? Are you ready to hit play on your own epic growth story? Or are you still rewatching that same old “AI takeover” plotline? Drop your favorite growing pain moment in the comments. Let’s share the laughs, and maybe a few lessons too.

The CEO of Zoom just said remote work doesn't work. Yeah, the guy who built his empire on virtual meetings is now telling us it’s failing to build trust and spark innovation. And here’s the part no one’s talking about: He’s not totally off-base. Most meetings don’t get anything done. But it’s not the platform, it’s the way we use it. Zoom doesn’t kill productivity. Bad habits do. Here’s how it relates to business growth: ➤ 90% of meetings could be cut or replaced with real-time decisions. ➤ Time is your most valuable asset. But it’s finite. You have to treat it like gold. What if you slashed your meetings by half and started building systems that scaled without you? That’s real growth. Let’s be unapologetic. You don’t need more conversations, you need more results. Get back those hours, reallocate that focus, and watch what happens to your business. Are you ready to ditch the fluff and focus on scaling, or are we still meeting about that next week?

Ever feel like your phone is the toast that always lands butter-side down? It’s like this universal law of the universe - cats land on their feet, toast lands butter-side down, and phones always hit the ground screen-first when you’re near concrete. Drop it on carpet, it’s fine. Grass? No problem. But the moment you’re standing over a hard surface, your phone’s in a race against gravity, and you just know it’s aiming for maximum damage. Anyone else think their phone has some twisted sense of humor? Or is it just me? Tell me your best (or worst) phone drop stories. Let’s share the pain.

It happened in that moment. I’ll never forget it. It’s not what you think. We were leaping from the infamous north face of the Eiger. The plan was to fly our wingsuits, in formation. We’d fly a tight arrowhead formation past a line known as the murderous wall. Despite the training, it was an audacious plan. But we were unapologetic in the execution. This had to work. After all, we were documenting the whole thing for The Royal British Legion gaining awareness for the incredible work they do for military, veterans and their families who stand proudly next time them through all the hard times. We’d been training and preparing for months. Right as I pushed off, through the smoke cloud, battling to see my team mates. Instead of fear. Instead of trepidation. Instead of nervousness. I had total calm. I was in a flow state. I knew my job. I knew my mates. I had 110% trust in their abilities to fly the line and get into position. As the airspeed increased, smoke dissipating, and I could see my team mates again, I could see them inching into position. When you’re doing something tough you can’t afford to second guess yourself. That’s when you screw up. The real challenge wasn’t the jump, the risk, or the danger. It was making sure everyone on that team knew exactly what their role was, trusted each other to execute, and stayed aligned toward the bigger mission. That's the same dynamic we face in business every single day. Think about it. You’re scaling your company, trying to break into new markets or land that game-changing client. The stakes are high, your team’s leaning on you, and there’s no margin for error. It’s not about the complexity of the project or how aggressive your growth targets are. It’s about TRUST. ➤ Trust in your systems to work under pressure. ➤ Trust in your team to make the right moves without you holding their hand. ➤ And trust in the strategy you’ve laid out to get you from point A to point B - no hesitation. In business, just like jumping off the Eiger, hesitation is where things fall apart. Your growth plan won’t always be easy, but it can be predictable when everyone knows their role and you have the right frameworks to execute without doubt. So, here’s the question: Is your team in flow? Do they know the plan, the role, and how to hit your goals without constantly looking over their shoulder? If you’re not there yet, let’s talk. Reach out if you want to fly. (Video of the jump is in the comments) #growth #scalingbusiness #strategyleadership #flowstate #trust

Most CEOs are playing small. Stop that. Too many founders are playing defense. They’re stuck in “don’t lose” mode. You don’t win by staying safe. You win by taking audacious, unapologetic action. When was the last time you made a business move that scared the hell out of you? Not the predictable, inch-forward stuff. I’m talking about moves that force your competition to notice - and your market to react. Like in the video, that’s the kind of energy your business needs. Bold, disruptive, unforgettable. Here’s how you fire off your own growth “fireworks”: ➤ Set unreasonable goals. The kind that force you to level up and demand growth. ➤ Break the mold. The world doesn’t need another copycat business. Be audacious enough to lead, not follow. ➤ Overdeliver every time. Your clients aren’t looking for ‘good.’ They want exceptional. ➤ Stop waiting for perfect conditions. You’ll never scale by overthinking. Scale by doing. In today’s unpredictable market, playing it safe is the fastest way to stay invisible. To win, you’ve got to make moves that are impossible to ignore. If you're ready to stop surviving and start dominating, reach out. Let's craft a growth strategy that’s as bold as you are. #BusinessGrowth #UnapologeticMoves #LeadershipMindset #Overdeliver #ScaleYourBusiness #GrowthStrategy

Let me share a little story about wasted time. A founder I know, let’s call him James, was constantly losing hours every week. Endless back-and-forths to lock in meeting times. Prospects ghosting him after one call. It was a nightmare. His team was burning out trying to juggle admin work instead of closing deals. That’s when he made an audacious decision. He stopped doing it all himself. He handed over appointment setting to a system that didn’t sleep, didn’t forget, and never got bogged down by human error. That system booked meetings, followed up unapologetically, and filled his calendar. Prospects who were once hard to pin down? Suddenly showing up. Cancellations? Automatically rescheduled. James didn’t stop there. He was also struggling to churn out content - email campaigns, blog posts, LinkedIn updates - all the things that attract clients but drain energy. Again, he made the unreasonable choice to let tech handle it. Instead of spending hours writing posts, he had content ready in minutes. And it wasn’t the cheap, generic stuff you’ve seen before. It was personal, on-brand, and consistent. His team went from reacting to scrambling schedules and deadlines to focusing entirely on growth. More meetings meant more closes. More content meant more inbound leads. And his team? They weren’t exhausted anymore. You might think, “But won’t I lose the personal touch?” That’s where James was at first, too. But here’s the thing: with the right approach, nothing gets more personal than a system that ensures clients feel valued and never forgotten. That’s how businesses scale. Not everyone’s willing to make that leap. It takes guts to admit you’re better off letting some things go, handing off tasks that drain your time and trusting a system that never slips up. It’s a bold move. It’s unreasonable. It’s unapologetic. But it’s the difference between staying stuck or scaling fast. How much time are you spending on tasks that tech could handle better?